Higher PSC rates from Jan 1
> Charges will still be lower compared with other countries: Liow
KAJANG: The new Passenger Service Charge (PSC) or airport tax, which will see higher rates imposed on air travellers, will be implemented from Jan 1 next year.
On the details of the new fees, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said they would be announced by the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) soon.
“Mavcom presented their views to me, and we are looking at the finer details.
“We also discussed it in the Cabinet yesterday.”
“We made certain decisions, but they are under Mavcom’s purview. So I will leave it to them to make the announcement,” he told reporters after launching Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Bandar Sungai Long here, yesterday.
theSun on Wednesday reported that the new rates for PSC had been approved by the Cabinet and are to be implemented at all airports nationwide, in a move deemed to “level the playing field”.
According to aviation sources, the new increased PSC charges would be: RM11 for domestic flights, up from the current RM9; RM35 for flights to Asean countries; and RM73 for international flights, up from RM65 out of KLIA, and RM32 from klia2 currently. Despite the increase, Liow maintained that the new charges are still considerably lower when compared with many other countries.
When asked if it would be unfair to charge similar PSC for international flights from KLIA and klia2 despite poorer facilities at the latter, Liow said: “There is no discrimination in Malaysia’s policies.”
On the report of the investigation into the downing of flight MH17 by the Joint Investigation Team, scheduled for release on Sept 28, Liow said he hoped the perpetrators would be identified then, to allow the government to take the next course of action.
He said once identified, Malaysia would then decide whether to bring them to the International Court of Arbitration or summon them to a national court.
“We would like justice to be done and want the perpetrators to be charged.
“We hope this report will identify who the real perpetrators are. We are still unable to decide on our next move.”